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Fantasy Hockey Week #15: 5 Duds and 5 Studs

Week 15 is officially in the books and the Detroit Red Wings get the honors of being week 15’s team of the week. The Wings completed a perfect 4-0 record in week 15 with a come-from-behind victory against the Sabres to close the week. The Wings, who were down by thrre at the end of the first period, stormed back, scoring five unanswered goals. Their success in week 15 was inspired by their blend of young and veteran talent. Zetterberg, the veteran, stole the show against the Sabres picking up a hat-trick, the sixth of his career. Henrik finished the week with five points and his fellow “euro twin” Pavel Datsyuk faired pretty well, also picking up five points on the week as well. The young guard also aided the Wings immensely, Gus Nyquist picked up 3 goals and 5 points on the week. Most impressive out of all the Wings was young stud Tomas Tatar, who we will have more on a little later.

Around the league there were some notable performances worth discussing. The Jets are one of the team’s which shined in week 15, as they also went 4-0. Mathieu Perreault was tremendous against the Panthers, picking up his first career four goal game. Dustin Byfuglien also continued his strong play, as Big Buff not only lead the way defensively but also contributed offensively, picking up three goals and three assists on the week. The converted defenseman is looking great back at his old position.

Switching over to the East, a couple of players deserve some recognition. Ryan Johansen set a Blue Jacket record for most consecutive games with a point at 13 games, which is truly remarkable. Over in Montreal, Tomas Plekanec had himself a nice week, picking up six points on the week. It's nice to see Montreal’s two-way forward finally get rewarded with some points.

Finally, a trio of underrated goalies may intrigue your fantasy hockey team. First, Joni Ortio has been an absolute stud since debuting for the Flames. Ortio is a perfect 3-0 with a miniscule 1.33 GAA. Coach Bob Hartley made it very clear, as long as Ortio’s winning, the Flames have no problem carrying around three goalies. Joni can be an interesting option for your fantasy team. Second, Devan Dubnyk is picking up some serious heat since being dealt to the Wild. Dubnyk picked up a shutout in his debut and allowed only one goal the very next night against the team that traded him, the Arizona Coyotes. With the Wild desperate for a playoff spot, look for them to ride Devan big time and he can be a major steal down the stretch for your fantasy team. Finally, Michael Hutchinson has been a really nice story for the Jets this season, picking up 13 wins in 19 starts. The undrafted goaltender has picked up victories in seven out of his last nine starts. If you need some wins, Hutch maybe a good backup option for your team.

Those are your honorable mentions for the week, let’s now begin to see who your 5 duds and 5 studs are for week 15.

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3 STUD: Ryan Miller (2W, 0L, 0.00 GAA)

James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

2 DUD: Phil Kessel (0G, 0A, -4)

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1 STUD: Tomas Tatar (5G, 2A, +5)

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Wings just have a knack for finding special players. This one was picked 60th overall in the 2009 NHL entry draft and what a stud Tomas Tatar is becoming. The new wave of Red Wings is beginning to take shape in Motown, as Detroit’s second line, featuring young studs Tomas Tatar, Gus Nyquist and Riley Sheahan, were absolutely electric Saturday night, aiding the Wings to a 5-2 victory against the league’s best team, the Nashville Predators. Tatar was sensational picking up two goals and an assist, with his first goal being the game-winner. The very next night, Tomas contributed again, picking up a goal and an assist propelling the Wings to comeback victory against the Sabres. Tatar leads the Wings with 21 goals on the season, tying him in the goal column with the likes of Max Pacioretty and Patrick Kane. It’s looking like Detroit will have multiple 30 goal scorers for the first time in a very long time. The future is looking bright in Motown.